Traditionally, an ophthalmic device, such as a contact lens or an intraocular lens, included a biocompatible device with a corrective, cosmetic, or therapeutic quality. A contact lens, for example, can provide one or more of vision-correcting functionality, cosmetic enhancement, and therapeutic effects. The physical characteristics of the contact lens provide each function. A design incorporating a refractive quality into contact lens can provide a vision-corrective function. A pigment incorporated into the contact lens can provide a cosmetic enhancement. An active agent incorporated into a contact lens can provide a therapeutic functionality.
Contact lenses are routinely placed right onto the surface of the eye. While rigid lenses have been around longer, soft hydrogel lenses can provide greater comfort and oxygen permeability. Soft hydrogel lenses can be manufactured using different techniques including, for example, injection molding to create highly precise lenses. During manufacturing techniques that use molds, the hydrogel contact lenses must come off the molds carefully to prevent deformation and/or tearing of the hydrogel. One way of achieving this has been with coatings and chemicals that can facilitate the removal by preventing adhesion of the hydrogel contact lens to the mold piece(s).
Novel energized ophthalmic devices, including contact lenses, have recently been described and are in development. Different designs for these energized ophthalmic devices provide that the ophthalmic device can include an energy source and various electronic components, among other components, for various functionality. In some designs, energy sources and/or electronic components can be included in a rigid insert that can be placed on a hydrogel skirt or embedded in hydrogel. These designs, however, require that the rigid insert and/or electronic component actually adhere to the hydrogel. As a result of the foregoing, new methods of manufacturing ophthalmic devices that can promote the adhesion of rigid inserts and/or electronic components to hydrogel portions are desired.